Ageing and sexing details:
After-second-year male Indigo Buntings are almost entirely blue, with
few to no
retained brown juvenal feathers visible anywhere.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2005
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2005
The distinct blue edging to the primary coverts is indicative of
after-second-year.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2006
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2005
The tail is of little value in ageing Indigo Buntings as both HY and AHY
birds replace it during their prebasic moult on the wintering grounds.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2006
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2005
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After-second-year females are largely brown,
but there are often blue tinges to the plumage, especially on the lesser
coverts (shoulder) and upper tail.
Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2007
Some after-second-year females show faint blue edging to the brownish
primary coverts; others such as the one below appear to lack it, but
still have some bluish tinges to the lesser and median coverts, and to a
lesser extent the greater coverts. Such blue colouration is lacking on
second-year females, while on all males the blue is much more extensive.
Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2007
Rectrices are broad and rounded, and are brownish with a faint bluish
tinge, but the tail is of little value in ageing Indigo Buntings as
individuals of all ages replace it during their prebasic moult on their
wintering grounds.
Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2007
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A second-year male may vary from largely
brown to almost entirely blue, but usually enough retained brown juvenal
feathers can be spotted even on a perched bird to recognize it as
second-year.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2005
The opened wing provides the easiest way to recognize second-year males,
as the plain brown primary coverts contrast noticeably with the
blue-edged greater coverts. Note also in this example the contrast
between the replaced inner secondaries with blue-edging and the
remainder of the plain brown secondaries and primaries.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2005
The tail is of little value in ageing Indigo Buntings as both HY and AHY
birds replace it during their prebasic moult on the wintering grounds.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, May 2005
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After-hatch-year
males in fall have a variably mottled blue/brown appearance, usually
retaining at least some blue feathers on the breast and especially on
the lesser coverts. The two examples below illustrate some of the
variation that occurs.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, September 2005
Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory, September 2007
After-hatch-year males can be aged and sexed as such
simply by overall body plumage; looking at the wing may permit some to
be distinguished as second-year. In the case of the individual in
the photo below, the blue edging to the primary coverts indicate that it
could either be a second-year male that has already replaced those, or
an after-second-year bird on which they are nearly a year old; in cases
where they are clearly old and worn, the bird can be safely aged as
after-second-year. The second bird below appears to have completed
its prebasic moult, and age cannot be resolved beyond after-hatch-year.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, September 2005
Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory, September 2007
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, September 2005
Photo by Marie-Anne
Hudson, McGill Bird Observatory, September 2007
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Second-year males are a
subclass of after-hatch-year males, readily recognizable until they have
completed their second prebasic moult. Their plumage may be a
variable mix of brown and blue, but is most notable for appearing
particularly scruffy (as in the photo below) as many of the feathers are
over one year old by this time.
Photo by Seabrooke Leckie,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2006
The opened wing can be used to confirm age as
second-year, with the pale brown primary coverts lacking any blue edging
and showing extreme wear. The contrast between the new secondaries
growing in and the adjacent unreplaced brown secondaries is also
considerable.
Photo by Seabrooke Leckie,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2006
The tail of a second-year Indigo Bunting in fall
usually is quite faded and showing considerable wear.
Photo by Seabrooke Leckie,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2006
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Hatch-year
Indigo Buntings are not always recognizable to sex, but if there are
blue-tinged feathers scattered across the breast and extensively on the
wing as in the bird below, they can be reliably called males.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2005
Note the extensive blue on the carpal covert,
indicating this as a male
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2005
The narrow and pointed
rectrices of hatch-year birds are one of the easiest ways to separate
them from older birds.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2005
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Hatch-year
females are generally brown all over, lacking blue; some males may also
be lacking blue prior to their first prebasic moult, so birds with such
an appearance are generally considered sex unknown.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2005
Note the complete absence of blue anywhere on the
wing, and the relatively narrow and pointed outer primary coverts.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, McGill Bird Observatory, August 2005
The rectrices are
relatively narrow and pointed, contrasting with the broader and more
rounded rectrices on after-hatch-year buntings.
Photo by Marcel Gahbauer,
McGill Bird Observatory, August 2005
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